


Stolen Moments

by Misha Berry (MishaDerps)



Series: Presents [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-20 21:04:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16563110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MishaDerps/pseuds/Misha%20Berry
Summary: A small moment between Bruce and Tim, father and son. No capes, no cases, no masks, just some conversation over lunch.





	Stolen Moments

**Author's Note:**

> So this was a birthday present for Meara that I wrote weeks and weeks back, but never got around to posting. It was a fun bit to write, and I always love writing Bruce being an actual good father (unlike a certain comics publishing company :/ ).

Gotham was not a perpetually dark city, like many assumed. There were many days when the clouds opened up and the sun beat down on the streets and the people. Currently, it was one such a day in Gotham; the summer sun fell on the heads of Gothamites like a dull sword, roasting anything it could reach. The river threw humidity into the air, making it thick and sticky, clogging lungs and leaving everything slightly damp to the touch. Piles of trash and refuse cooked in the heat, the sickly scent spreading throughout the city in lumbering clouds of noxious fumes.

The citizens of Gotham were making the best of the sunshine, despite the discomfort. Public and private pools alike were at max capacity, and those brave enough had travelled to the river to take a dip. Other’s lounged in parks and walked through the busy streets in an effort to soak up as much sun as they could. Those stuck inside blasted the AC and switched on fans, trying not to sweat through their clothes. Clear, calm days could sometimes feel like stolen moments between Gotham’s usual cloudy weather and her enduring troubles with crazed clowns and criminal masterminds styled after flightless birds.

It was one of the rare days that Bruce had made it physically into the office. He wasn't sure if he regretted the decision or not, considering the sunshine outside that he rarely got to enjoy. He was a creature of the night, but that didn't mean he didn’t like to get out into the light from time to time. The AC in the WE building was on full blast, but Bruce still noticed people were dripping with sweat. Everyone seemed lethargic from the heat, and Bruce suspected it was going to be a very unproductive day.

Bruce managed to wiggle out of a board meeting at just passed one in the afternoon, which the other members seemed grateful for. Bruce stretched a little and wondered if he should just head home.

A familiar mop of black hair caught the corner of his eye. Tim was talking to a group of interns, some of whom looked older than he did. He had moved on from crutches to a cane, but he faked a limp quite well.

In a few short weeks, Tim would be turning twenty-one. It seemed like such a short time ago that a determined thirteen year old had showed up on his doorstep, demanding that he take a Robin, and then all but forcing himself into the position when Bruce refused to cooperate. From then on out, Tim had become a constant in Bruce’s life, steering him back onto the right path and almost forcibly pulling him out of his downward spiral.

Did Tim know what he’d done, the impact he’d had on Bruce’s life? Come to think of it, Bruce couldn't remember the last time he’d spent one-on-one time with Tim outside of the cowl. They were all so busy, and Tim especially was such an independent person, always had been. Bruce could remember the boy casually mentioning how much he took care of himself, like it was normal for a thirteen year old to make his own dinner most nights. Very few people had ever taken care of Tim in his life, and he’d just come to accept that.

Tim dismissed the interns and started to walk away. Bruce’s feet moved before he could make the conscious decision. “Tim,” he called, trotting up to his son.

Tim looked up. “Oh, hey Bruce,” he said, smiling. “Is there something you needed?”

“Just coming to say hi,” Bruce said, coming to stand next to Tim. He hadn’t grown much taller in the last few years, but there was no mistaking he’d matured a lot.

“Oh,” Tim said, smiling crookedly, like he was slightly amused. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Bruce said, wishing he was better at this. “Why don't we go get some lunch? My treat?”

Tim raised an eyebrow, but then he smiled. “Sure, why not?” he said.

Bruce smiled slightly and laid a hand on Tim’s shoulder, leading him through the floor towards the elevator. They probably both had things to do, but it was lunchtime and Bruce wanted to spend some time with his son. Work could wait for a little while.

The sun was almost directly overhead as they walked through Gotham’s streets. They’d declined to take a car, wanting to get at least a little fresh air, muggy as that air was. Bruce suggested a nearby cafe, but Tim insisted on showing Bruce a little Thali place tucked away on a side street that he knew.

“Come on, this is where I fell in love with butter chicken,” Tim said, leading Bruce inside. It was a little hole-in-the-wall kind of place, but Bruce had to admit that it smelled delicious.

An Indian man poked his head out of the back at the sound of the bell and stood behind the counter, patiently waiting for them to decide what they wanted to order. He wrote their orders on a ticket and passed it off to a young woman who squeezed passed him to start assembling their food on the large metal platters. Bruce and Tim took their platters and found a table, having to maneuver a little through the clusters of chairs and tables.

“I think this is the best lamb biryani I’ve had since I was actually  _ in _ India,” Bruce said as they tucked into their food. “How did you find this place?”

“I got sick of having the same damn sandwich at the cafe for lunch everyday,” Tim said, mixing his rice with his butter chicken. “So I wandered around a little and found this place. It seemed interesting, so I went inside.”

Bruce hummed and they lapsed into a comfortable silence as they ate. Peppy Hindi music emanated from the back, drifting softly throughout the small space. A few other people sat around and chatted, and a steady stream of people came in to order takeout. In one corner, two Sikh men argued animatedly over which was better, Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

“So,” Bruce started, wiping his mouth with his napkin. “Twenty-one in a few weeks. How does it feel?”

Tim scraped up the last of his rice. “Not that different, really,” he said, “I guess I’ve still got a few weeks for it to hit, but honestly I don’t really feel much of a difference.”

Bruce smiled. “Yeah, once you’re out of your teens it can start to feel that way,” he said, “But then you hit forty and you start feeling it again, but not in a good way.”

Tim laughed. “Starting to slow down old man?” he teased.

“I’m not too old that I still couldn’t show you who’s boss,” Bruce teased back, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.

Tim laughed again, and he looked good, Bruce noticed. There was a time not so long ago that Tim had looked terrible. Bags under his eyes, greasy unwashed hair, and a general air of sickly unkemptness. Bruce had kept a close watch on Tim, but what had worried him most was that Dick had said that during the time Bruce was gone, it had been much worse.

Now Tim seemed much better, healthier and more at ease. He’d settled into being Red Robin and blossomed into his own hero in ways that left Bruce breathless with pride. Had he known what Tim would become when he first walked into Bruce’s life all those years ago, he would have welcomed him without question or hesitance.

“Any plans for the big day?” Brice asked, not ready to leave just yet.

Tim hummed and leaned back in his chair. “Well I know you guys are going to do something,” he said, “Alfred’s already asked me what kind of cake I want and Damian’s been going through my things to try and find some gift ideas.”

Bruce held back a sigh. “I can talk to him,” he offered.

Tim waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t bother, I do the same thing to him,” he said, “I know that Jason wants to take me bar hopping, and Dick will probably invite himself along, so will Steph.”

“Sounds fun,” Bruce said, though internally he wondered if he could get away with tailing them that night.

“Should be,” Tim said, “Let’s see, what else? Oh, the Titans are planning me a surprise party.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow. “A surprise party that you know about?” he asked.

Tim gave Bruce a flat look. “I figured out who Batman was when I was  _ nine _ . Figuring out that my best friends are planning me a ‘surprise’ birthday party isn’t exactly the D.B. Cooper mystery,” he said, “Especially when two of the people planning it are Superboy and Kid Flash. I don’t think they could  _ spell _ ‘subtle’ between the two of them.”

Bruce snorted. “Fair enough,” he said, “Is that everything?”

“Well,” Tim tapped his spoon against his tray. “Cassie, Bart, Conner, and I were thinking we could go somewhere.”

“Somewhere?” Bruce prompted.

Tim shrugged. “Somewhere,” he repeated, “Just the four of us. We were thinking of a road trip or something, but the fact that they can all fly or run fast enough to break the sound barrier defeats the purpose a little. We might just end up at the farm or my place, playing video games and eating junk until we’re sick.”

Bruce hummed and thought for a minute. “Why don’t you go out to the lake house?” he suggested.

The lake house was a property that had actually belonged to the Kane’s at one point, but Bruce’s father Thomas had bought the property as a gift for Martha after her family’s fortune began to sink. Bruce had never used it much, but he’d kept the old place maintained, knowing how much it had meant to his mother. When Dick had entered his life, he’d started using it again, and even now, at least one weekend out of the summer he’d take at least one or two kids out to spend time there. This year it had been him and Jason, the first time since Jason had died.

Tim raised an eyebrow. “You trust us not to wreck the place?” he asked.

“I trust you to clean up if you do wreck the place,” Bruce said, “Which I trust you not to do.”

“Me maybe,” Tim said, “But them?”

“I trust you to keep them in line,” Bruce replied. For all their faults, the others trusted and listened to Tim when it counted.

Tim laughed. “Fair enough,” he giggled. He looked up at Bruce and smiled, eyes soft with fondness. “Thanks Bruce,” he said.

Bruce smiled back. “You’re welcome Tim,” he said.

As nice as it was to simply sit and talk and enjoy each other’s company, they did have to return to work at some point. They put their trays and utensils away and then headed back in the direction of WE. In the distance across the river, large storm clouds were gathering like threatening, angry shadows.

“Looks like we’re going to have a thunderstorm tonight,” Bruce said, shading his eyes to get a better look at the clouds. It seemed like they were heading for Gotham proper, but it was hard to tell when they’d get there.

“Good,” Tim said, “Hopefully it’ll break this God awful humidity we’ve been having.”

“Hopefully,” Bruce agreed. Already the sweat was starting to gather under his collar. A little bit of Gotham rain would be nice after all the heat.

The two of them took their time walking back to WE, not talking much, but enjoying each other’s company. Ostensibly it was to accommodate Tim’s limp, but in reality neither of them were in much of a hurry to get back to work. However, despite their dawdling, they eventually did arrive back at the tower that was the WE building.

Bruce laid a hand on Tim’s shoulder and squeezed. “I think there’s a meeting that I have to get to. I’ll see you tonight at dinner?”

“Yup,” Tim said, “I have to go too. I promised Tam we’d have a chat about some projects.” He smiled up at Bruce and leaned into his arm, “But this was nice. We should do this again.”

Bruce smiled and squeezed Tim’s shoulder in a kind of side-hug. He let Tim go and watched him fake-limp off to the elevator. Tam found him before he could make it and immediately started chewing him out for taking such a long lunch. Bruce hid a smile as Tim was dragged away by the sleeve. Bruce spared one last smile before finding his way back to his own office.

Bruce didn’t really come to WE all that much, and he used his office even less. Still, there were photographs of all his kids arranged on his desk. Bruce picked up a photograph of Tim; it had been taken the day after the paperwork had gone through for Tim’s adoption, making Tim officially Bruce’s legal son. Alfred had been behind the camera, while Bruce and a sixteen year old Tim smiled brightly. Bruce smiled at the memory, of the feeling of finally being able to call Tim his son after years of watching him struggle under Jack’s abysmal parenting.

Setting the photo down, Bruce glanced out the window. The wind must have picked up, because the dark storm clouds were much closer to the city than they had been. For the most part Gotham was still enjoying the sunshine, but the breeze was stronger and there was an electric charge in the air that promised lightning and thunder later. Bruce thought about having to patrol in a storm, and wondered if he’d be able to convince the others to stay in tonight. Gotham had weathered many storms, and this one would be no different, they could probably take the night off.

Bruce was glad for the stolen moments of sunshine though, however few and far between they were. They gave Bruce the opportunity to slow down and appreciate his life, and though their rarity made them somewhat bittersweet, they were all the more special for it. Bruce tried to make the most of them when he could, and always looked back on their memories with fondness in his heart.

There was a knock on Bruce’s door and Lucius stuck his head in. “Mr. Wayne? We have a meeting with the R&D department in ten minutes,” he said.

“I’ll be right there,” Bruce said. With one last glance at the captured moments with his children, Bruce stood from his desk and followed Lucius, ready to get back to work for the moment.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to check out my [tumblr](https://mishaberrywrites.tumblr.com)!


End file.
